Northeast Desk, 8th August: In a major boost to infrastructure development, the Indian government has sanctioned Rs 2000 crore for the second phase of the Meghalaya Integrated Transport Project (MiTP). This ambitious initiative will be undertaken in collaboration with the World Bank.
Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad Sangma announced the funding on his X handle, expressing gratitude to Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman. “Grateful to Hon’ble Finance Minister Smt. @nsitharaman ji for sanctioning Rs 2000 crore for the MiTP (phase 2) project with the World Bank. We will now take up all important roads and continue the good work of MiTP Phase 1,” he wrote.
This announcement comes after the Meghalaya Democratic Alliance (MDA) government decided to cancel the first phase of the smart city road project due to feasibility issues. Deputy Chief Minister in charge of urban and municipal affairs, Sniawbhalang Dhar, revealed on July 12 that the government is now preparing a fresh proposal using state funds to improve all major city roads.
The decision to halt the smart road project followed a meeting between the Deputy Chief Minister and the Public Works Department (PWD), where they acknowledged the challenges in implementing the original plan. The smart road project, which included 17 incomplete road projects across the state, had only seen 3-4% progress before being discontinued. Among these was a road in the Lachaumiere area.
With the new funding for MiTP Phase 2, Meghalaya aims to enhance its road infrastructure, ensuring better connectivity and boosting the state’s development trajectory.
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